Is Microsoft serious about WM5?

Alf · #1 (**permalink**) 07-26-2006, 04:05 AM

I'm beginning to wonder if Microsoft is serious about this product. For example, it seems they have so little faith in it that they're not supporting it in their latest Microsoft Money product:
http://money.mvps.org/faq/article/415.aspx

Gary · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 08:03 PM

Take a look at EVERYTHING microsoft puts out. Yessir they are quite the innovators. Let's see? DOS! Bill being a born marketer bought it. Windows! Nice idea Macintosh had, huh? Windows CE! Pretty pathetic rip off of Palm OS. Windows Mobile 5! I stumbled into that one because I thought bill and the syndicate had enough time to get it at least marginally right. What a kluge job. Word Mobile! What is that? Did bill allocate the tip from lunch one day to have it watered down? Excel Mobile? Tip from dinner? ActiveSync! Why in the name of God do I have to keep purchasing foreign third party programs to get Windows Mobile 5 to converse with Windows XP? What do they do at microsoft, code it, ship it, wait for email to see if anything works? I bought a Pocket OC because I actually thought microsoft cared about the platform and they really could have ironed out the problems by now. Every day with my Axim is a nightmare, not because of my Axim though. Oh well, gotta sign off now. Need to send more money to bill.

Mahstah · #3 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 11:09 PM

At least you don't have to be a programmer to use Microsoft products like you do to use Linux. Emacs (something).conf, man (command). Who wants to type cryptic commands all the time and edit OS code other than programmers?

People should be thanking Microsoft for bringing the PC and the PPC to the general population, not bashing it.

All of the PPC programs you mentioned as required purchase third party programs needed to synchronize with XP either come with WM5 or are completely free for download. Please explain how every day with your Axim is a nightmare, but not because of the Axim. Perhaps we can assist in resolutions.

dotancohen · #4 (**permalink**) 11-02-2006, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mahstah

At least you don't have to be a programmer to use Microsoft products like you do to use Linux. Emacs (something).conf, man (command). Who wants to type cryptic commands all the time and edit OS code other than programmers?

People should be thanking Microsoft for bringing the PC and the PPC to the general population, not bashing it.

All of the PPC programs you mentioned as required purchase third party programs needed to synchronize with XP either come with WM5 or are completely free for download. Please explain how every day with your Axim is a nightmare, but not because of the Axim. Perhaps we can assist in resolutions.

Are you kidding? I use Ubuntu linux, and I'm no programmer. I've never touched a conf file or had to look at a man command. Neither has my wife. We're both very happy with our system, much happier than we were with XP. There is absolutly nothing that I could do with XP that I can't do with Ubuntu. I browse the web in Firefox, I read email in Kmail (I use the KDE destop), I listen to music in Amarok. In the latest version that I installed for a friend yesterday, Amarok automatically configured itself for mp3 support after informing me that mp3 is not free software (as in speech). Amazing, and safer to use than XP with no virus, spyware, adware, or whatnot.

I don't hate Microsoft, but spreading lies like saying that to use Linux one must know to edit config files is rediculous. Not to mention that Ubuntu runs great on my 128 MB ram machine, while XP will hardy let me open Word.

Mahstah · #5 (**permalink**) 11-02-2006, 04:22 PM

Can you sync your Windows Mobile 5 device with Linux?

dotancohen · #6 (**permalink**) 11-03-2006, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mahstah

Can you sync your Windows Mobile 5 device with Linux?

I have no WM5 device

But my WM2003SE syncs flawlessly!

Mahstah · #7 (**permalink**) 11-03-2006, 08:40 AM

When 'the missing sync' releases a newer version (unspecified date as of yet) it is supposed to support WM5 devices for Linux. Until then, it's Microsoft or nothing.

I'm not a Linux hater, I've used it since '98 back when there was no such thing as an rpm (configure, make, make install). I too prefer KDE to Gnome. I worked for a company that prided itself as a 'Linux house' and deployed Red Hat Enterprise MySQL database servers in Chrysler plants. I've recompiled a kernel or two to get wireless or chipset drivers working.

What I'm saying is that I do know Linux, but I couldn't name anyone in my family or among most of my friends that could set it up or use it effectively. You'd give it to them and they'd ask where "Start" was and what happened to clippy.

My guess is that either you, your wife, or both are above average in the tech skills department.

dotancohen · #8 (**permalink**) 11-04-2006, 02:42 PM

I'd be nice if we were, but we most certainly aren't. Not too stupid, maybe, but not too advanced in any way.

I'd really suggest that you give Ubuntu (or better yet, Kubuntu) a try. You might be surprised.

Gary · #9 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 12:30 PM

Well, where to start? I suppose you don't have to be a programmer if you don't need the device to do what it is supposed to do. I will keep this very short. I say short because every problem I mention could be expanded upon and leads to another Microsoft inspired problem, and I can go back to DOS if need be. Soured, oh yeah I'm soured. I sure do wish I could get the help I need to just run my Axim and Sync my Axim and go on happy and productive. That's all I want. Run the device and sync the device. Imagine that, interfacing a Windows device with Windows devices. Well, perhaps one day when peace and justice reigns on earth that will happen. For now, good luck to us all, huh? I just resolved the last nightmare of suddenly not being able to sync with my laptop workstation by wiping the hard drive and re-installing everything. Now I can Sync with my main laptop after almost a month of escalating frustration and aggravation. I guess WM5 was innocent. Must have been XP? I have a laptop-workstation that sits at home, a travel laptop and a desktop in work. I only need to sync with Outlook Calendar at work but would like to sync only files with my two laptops. Of course Bill(ionaire) decided that no one would ever want or need to sync with more than two computers, you know how it is, computers aren't that widespread or useful so anyone buying a Pocket PC couldn't possibly have more than two computers. So I bought ManyPartners that allows syncing with more than two machines (ha-ha again). It is a third party app, but I have a suspicion that Bill(ionaire) owns that company too and personally speced it out since it does not work. I have about 6 precious hours painstakingly following every installation and use step in detail over and over. Each time I go back to one of the earlier machines my Axim is not recognized. So, I delete a (good) partnership and create a new one. I then go to the other machine and repeat the process. "It must be me" I keep thinking. Now for syncing in general, I have I have a lot of files: pdf's, power point, photos, databases, Engineering Drawings and Model Images, SoftMakers PlanMaker & TextMaker- fodder for another tirade about one of Bill(ionaires) greatest jokes, Mobile Word and Mobile Excel, I think I mentioned earlier how I had hoped to use Word and Excel mobile-ha ha) and some videos, notes and sketches. Because of the volume of data I have added a 4GB CF card for file storage and backups. I also have several 1GB SD cards that I swap in and out for Audio files. Now Bill(ionaire) the delicate genius realized that no one using expensive Pocket PC's with memory expansion capability and hundreds of $'s worth of software running on them could possibly generate or store enough data to require using the extra memory provided for on the device (the capability is just there to help sell more memory cards I suppose), so he speced out ActiveSync to only sync internal data. I guess if you are storing data on the expansion cards it must not be valuable enough to sync? So I bought MightySync for data on the expansion cards. Like just about everything involved I can get it to work, then suddenly funny little messages pop up like "Unknown System Error" (funny how a message like this is so similar AND HELPFUL like Windows error messages such as my favorite "Unable to start program. Missing component". At least that narrows things down. As I mentioned sometime before I hired the GEEK Squad for my earlier problem. They gave up and didn't charge me. I know someone who works in a moderately high position at Bill(ionaires) syndicate and explained my problem hoping they could help point me to help. Their response was that most of Bill(ionaires) boys are focused on big money corporate clients and it would be almost impossible for an individual to get help for any sort of money that a mere mortal could afford to pay. I have been a Palm user since the Palm Vx came out. Very easy to use, very reliable, easy to keep synced. I stuck with them up to the T5 until I messed up the screen. I was ready to upgrade but Palm discontinued the Tungsten T5 and replaced it with a half the memory TX? Didn't want to "downgrade"! Option? That idiotic oversize "LifeDrive" that gets its own share of horror stories due to a HDD in a toss around portable. What is with that? 4GB CF cards are fast, robust, reliable, common and relatively cheap, but they put in a HDD? So like I said earlier in my threads, I took the leap and thought Bill(ionaire) had enough time to get mobile Windows and its apps right. Finally, I was actually (really) prepared to pay up to $500 to have someone get these fine but Windows crippled devices working together. I have second thoughts now as on the rare occasions that I do get everything working for a while, eventually things just start to malfunction. One recent example, I have “Program Bar on my Axim. It’s been working for months. Suddenly only one line of icons shows and the options (setup) screen is non-operational. Why? How? Nightmare? Yes! With a capital “N”, and that rhymes with “M” and that stands for Microsoft. I just do not have the time to be continually fighting with and duplicating my remediation efforts over and over to get the thing working and then have the problems start again. I think Bill(ionaire) has won. He's got lots more of my money, I’m dusting off the old Daytimer and giving them money for a 2007 refil, sharpening my old Analog pencil and choosing consistency and reliability over hype and criminality. Anyone want to buy an Axim? It'll be on eBay soon with a Titanium Rhino Case and hundreds of dollars of software that I purchased to duplicate the capabilities of my old Tungsten T5. I'd recommend that any purchaser not work as it'll be a full time job keeping the thing functioning. But thanks Mahstah, you are sincere, knowledgable and if you're successfully using a Windows Mobile 5 device I suspect wealthy enough so that you can devote 8 to 10 hours every day getting and keeping it working. As for me, I'm dispirited, tired, out of patience and I've gotta go earn some more money to send to Bill(ionaire). I can't wait to see Vista! Oh my, that should be a whole new adventure. Pretty clever how Bill(ionaire) just keeps releasing the new before he gets the old to work.

Mahstah · #10 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary

I will keep this very short.

LOL

Sorry, I'm not laughing at your problems, just that one part. I'm thinking that this site needs a "Rants and Raves" section just for posts like that one. And no, I'm not rich nor do I devote any hours to solving MY OWN problems on my Axims, they just...work. I hard reset only when a ROM upgrade is introduced and use them to their fullest potential every day without problems. The time I do invest to troubleshooting is on AximUsers' problems.

It's too bad I couldn't visit your location to sort out your issues, I charge less than the Geek Squad and can boast a 100% success rate to my customers.

Good luck on any other device you replace the X51v with, and thanks for venting here and not at the post office or at 1 Microsoft Way in Redmond.